Dog killed in Gwinnett neighborhood; police haven’t found shooter

A popular neighborhood dog was shot and killed yards from its owner’s Duluth home in April, and police are still searching for the perpetrator.

The dog, Berkeley, wandered into the woods April 10 and his owner, Mark Hoban, couldn’t find him. That night, a neighbor heard a gunshot and a “god awful” dog’s wail that he couldn’t forget, Channel 2 Action News reported.

“Getting in bed at night and listening to that dog howl in my ears kept me up for a few nights,” neighbor Ren Hood told Channel 2.

Berkeley’s body was found in a neighbor’s yard three days later. After burying the dog, police convinced the family to exhume the body for examination. They determined he had been shot with a 9mm bullet.

Hoban and neighbors don’t know who would have shot Berkeley, who was known as “the Ambassador” in their neighborhood because of his friendly nature. Berkeley would accompany Hoban on the job at Rivermont Golf Club and chase away pesky animals like deer and geese, Hoban said.

“He was my best friend, with me 24/7,” Hoban told Channel 2.

While Duluth police have been investigating the shooting, there are not currently leads on a suspect; they would likely need an eyewitness or surveillance footage, the department told Channel 2.

Like Gwinnett County News on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter and InstagramStay up to the minute with breaking news on Channel 2 Action News This Morning

Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes has learned that parents of a 14-year-old girl involved in the fight brought their daughter to the other girl's house to resume the fight the next day.